The latest announcement from Valve puts a release date on the next episode of Left 4 Dead; the new title of the highly popular game will become available for retail purchase this November.

The E3 Expo is on in full-swing at the L.A Convention Centre and gaming enthusiasts are having a great time with new game launches coming from all major publishers. Valve’s announcement however has put the icing on the cake as Left 4 Dead is widely considered to be one of the best games ever.

According to the publisher, the new episode will feature all new content; it seems nothing has been retained from the original game. The whole game is set on a much larger scale with new survivors and boss zombies in new locations. Weapons have also been upgraded to include new melee-focused ones such as chainsaws, frying pans, axes, and baseball bats.

Early reports suggest that melee will carry much more importance in the new episode compared to the original game; the co-op system will also be enhanced. Valve is also updating the AI Director Software to give it comprehensive control over all aspects of the game including the weather and sound effects. This is a major change over the first version wherein the AI Director could only control the zombies.

“A large part of how Left 4 Dead became 2008’s top-selling new IP on Xbox 360 and the PC was the custom-tailored game-play made possible by the AI Director,” said Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve. “With the knowledge gained from creating the original, new technology, and a passionate team, L4D2 will set a new benchmark for cooperative action games.”

With so many new features, Valve has ensured it carries forward at least feature from the original version; it will be limiting L4D2 to PCs and the Xbox 360.